


A Dog And A Best Mate

by TheonSugden



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Dogs, Gen, Hospitals, M/M, Self-Worth Issues, adam and aaron are bros in this, mention of a dog that passed away
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-09
Updated: 2015-04-09
Packaged: 2018-03-22 01:44:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3710203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheonSugden/pseuds/TheonSugden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Aaron's in hospital after his fall, Adam visits to give news of their new dog.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Dog And A Best Mate

Aaron hated hospitals. He’d been in the sick beds enough times to never want to feel the starchy sheets again, but the main reason was Jackson, seeing Jackson lying there, helpless, lost…

He was starting to get a headache when he saw Adam’s nervously grinning face pop into the door frame.

“Hey, mate. Don’t wanna bother ya, but the nurse said your roomie was out for tests…best time to pop in.”

Aaron sighed.

“S’fine. Be quick about it.”

He barely contained the eye-roll as Adam crept up like bombs were attached to his feet.

“Sorry I didn’t get here sooner.”

Aaron didn’t want to say that he’d assumed Adam wouldn’t bother to visit. 

“Couldn’t get your ugly mug in faster case it scared the patients to death, right?”

Adam grinned, which always made Aaron feel happier, safer, somehow.

“Somethin’ like that. Vic’s gonna fix a batch of your favorite goodies…might haveta sample a few meself.”

Aaron laughed.

“Try it and you’ll be the one in hospital.”

He felt guilty thinking about her cooking for him after he’d lied to her so many times, in so many ways. 

“How is she?”

Adam’s smile faded.

“She’s great. We’re great. Better than ever. Listen mate…I wanted to show you a surprise…”

Aaron wasn’t sure if he was just trying to change the subject, but he was happy to go along as Adam handed him the phone.

He’d expected to see a snap of a bike, or maybe a cool new app.

What he hadn’t expected was Adam making sultry faces in a mirror, wearing nothing but tight black bikini briefs. 

As the phone auto-scrolled to the second snap of Adam’s always-admirable arse encased in dark cotton, Aaron’s eyebrows raised. Much to his relief, whatever drip he was on meant nothing else did.

“One hell of a surprise,” he mumbled as he handed the phone back to Adam, who promptly turned beet red.

“Th-That was for Vic…” he flushed, finding the right picture before shoving the phone in Aaron’s general line of sight.

“It’s a dog,” Aaron deadpanned.

“It’s _our_  dog,” Adam beamed with pride. “Keep an eye on the yard for us. Name’s Scrappy.”

“Like the cartoon?” Aaron sneered.

Adam looked confused.

“Nah, mate. It’s a scrap yard. Scrappy. Get it?”

“Guess it makes more sense than Yardy,” Aaron shrugged.

After Clyde, he was reluctant to let another dog get close, especially a dog who was risking its life for them, just like Clyde had. 

“C’mon, Aaron. Doncha wanna scratch its ears and make it laugh and smile?”

“That’s what I got you for,” he deflected, wincing when an annoyed Adam punched his arm in protest. 

“Sorry, mate,” Adam said, rubbing Aaron’s sore arm as further apology. “Wasn’t thinking.”

“Good thing you still got shit aim,” Aaron replied, grateful when Adam let his hand linger for a moment.

“Seriously though…Scrappy barks and barks and seems like he’d take your head off, but for the right person, he’s soft and sweet, and he’d do anything. Kinda…kinda reminds me of somebody I know.”

Aaron let Adam squeeze his shoulder, but couldn’t look him in the eye, both from shame at just how little that description matched who he’d become, and because it reminded him so much of Robert.

“Long as you take care of it, I got no complaints,” he answered, trying to ignore how much he wanted to meet Scrappy, feel Scrappy’s heavy head on his knee, big soft dark eyes staring up at him like he knew all his secrets and wanted to make them better. 

“Right,” Adam agreed, failing to hide his shy smile at knowing just how hollow Aaron’s claims of distancing himself would soon be.

Even now, Adam sometimes knew him too well.

“So…gotta get back to work. Anything else I can do for ya?”

Aaron stroked his chin, feigning deep thought.

“Can ya send me the pics of you in your pants?”

Adam flipped him off, trying to hide the grin spreading across his re-reddened face.

“I’m serious. They’re a real work of art, mate.”

“Fuck off!” he snorted as he walked out.

“Fine. Save it for Christmas!” Aaron shouted after him, ignoring the bewildered look of the nurse and his returning roommate. 

He settled in for a nap, stray image of Scrappy and Clyde chasing each other lulling him into a relatively peaceful sleep.


End file.
